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2003 Spanish Grand Prix
4 May |number = 702 |officialname = XLV Gran Premio Marlboro de España |circuit = Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya Circuit de Catalunya |location = Barcelona, Montmeló, Spain |circuittype = |lapdistance = 4.730 |laps = 65 |distance = 307.450 |pole = Michael Schumacher |polenation = GER |poleteam = |poletime = 1:17.762 |fastestlap = 1:20.143 |fastestlapdriver = Rubens Barrichello |fastestlapnation = BRA |fastestlapteam = |fastestlapnumber = |winner = Michael Schumacher |winnernation = GER |winnerteam = |second = Fernando Alonso |secondteam = |secondnation = ESP |third = Rubens Barrichello |thirdteam = |thirdnation = BRA}} The 2003 Spanish Grand Prix, officially known as the XLV Gran Premio Marlboro de España, was the fifth round of the FIA Formula One World Championship, staged at the Circuit de Catalunya in Barcelona, Spain, on 4 May 2003.'Spanish GP, 2003', grandprix.com, (Inside F1 Inc., 2014), https://www.grandprix.com/gpe/rr702.html, (Accessed 10/12/2019) The race would see Michael Schumacher sweep to a dominant victory for , ahead of home hero Fernando Alonso of . Qualifying for the race had seen Ferrari run unopposed at the head of the field, with Schumacher claiming pole position ahead of Rubens Barrichello. Alonso, meanwhile, would give the home fans hope by claiming third ahead of his teammate Jarno Trulli, while an awful session for Kimi Räikkönen left the Championship leader in last place. The start of the race saw Alonso make the best start, although he was unable to exploit it as he got boxed in behind Barrichello. Indeed, the Brazilian ace had also got away smartly to challenge teammate Schumacher into the first corner, although his lunge around the outside of his teammate only resulted in the #2 Ferrari clipping the grass. The lost momentum for Barrichello let Schumacher sprint clear, leaving the Brazilian racer to fend off Alonso through turn three. Behind, however, there was chaos, as Trulli tried to make up for a poor start, only to slam into David Coulthard and bring out the Safety Car. It was Räikkönen, however, who was the biggest victim, getting wiped out amid the chaos as the field scattered to avoid the collision. Several teams and drivers would opt to make stops during the early SC laps, hence altering their strategies from three-stops to two-stops. However, none of the lead trio would stop, sticking with their three-stop plan, and would hence sprint clear together with lighter fuel when the race resumed. Indeed, the fight for the lead quickly became a battle of strategies, with Barrichello dropping back to hold up Alonso, while Schumacher established a five second lead. However, the Spaniard would make an earlier stop than either of the Ferraris, and with clear air would halve Schumacher's lead and jump ahead of Barrichello. However, Alonso ultimately lacked the pace to challenge Schumacher, with the German ace steadily pulling clear of the Renault during their second and third stints. Alonso himself, meanwhile, was able to keep Barrichello at arm's length, meaning the fight for the podium was effectively over with half of the race to run. Behind, had used the SC to swap their strategies, and hence ran in fourth and fifth with Ralf Schumacher and Juan Pablo Montoya. However, their race would be upset when Schumacher flew off the circuit and damaged his cooling system, allowing Cristiano da Matta in the to close in as Montoya swept past. Into the closing stages and da Matta was throwing everything at Ralf Schumacher, although the crippled Williams had enough pace in the corners to keep the Toyota at bay. Mark Webber would also briefly join the fight, before fading badly as the final laps were concluded. With that the race was run, with Michael Schumacher cruising across the line to claim victory, while the home fans were jubilant as Alonso swept to second. Barrichello had a lonely second half of the race to complete the podium, with Montoya, Ralf Schumacher, da Matta, Webber and Ralph Firman the remaining point scorers. Background Kimi Räikkönen once again extended his early grip on the Championship lead after a second straight second place, leaving San Marino on 32 points. David Coulthard remained in his younger teammate's shadow, slipping thirteen behind, while victory for Michael Schumacher had catapulted the German ace into third, a point behind the Scot. Fernando Alonso was one of those to make way for Schumacher, slipping to fourth, with Rubens Barrichello moving into fifth. In the Constructors Championship had continued their bid to build a lead, and would leave Italy with nineteen points in hand. had moved up to be the Anglo-German squad's closest challengers, with slipping six behind the Italian squad. also made some minor ground in fourth, with completing the top five. Entry List The full entry list for the is outlined below: Practice Overview Qualifying Q1 Report Q2 Report Qualifying Results The full qualifying results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car to set their best time in that session. *'Bold' indicates a driver's best/qualifying time. Grid Race Report Results The full results for the are outlined below: *T Indicates a driver used their test/spare car. Milestones * Jarno Trulli made his 100th Grand Prix start.'5. Spain 2003', statsf1.com, (Stats F1, 2014), https://www.statsf1.com/en/2003/espagne.aspx, (Accessed 10/12/2019) * Michael Schumacher claimed his 66th career victory. * secured their 161st win as a constructor and engine supplier. * Maiden points finish for Cristiano da Matta and Ralph Firman. ** This was also Firman's only points finish of his career. * Rubens Barrichello recorded his tenth fastest lap. Standings A second victory in a row for Michael Schumacher carried the German ace right to the head of the field, leaving him just four off the lead after a slow start. Indeed, a non-score for Kimi Räikkönen had left him looking vulnerable at the head of the pack, with Fernando Alonso also moving within striking distance in third. Elsewhere, David Coulthard had slipped to fifth behind Rubens Barrichello, with sixteen drivers on the scoresheet. In the Constructors Championship it had been a very strong afternoon for , as they demolished the gap between themselves and early leaders . The double failure to score in Spain had been very costly for the Anglo-German alliance, leaving them just three ahead of the Scuderia as their strong start to the season faded. Behind, had kept at bay, while were left as the only non-scorers. Only point scoring drivers are shown. References Images and Videos: * References: Category:Grand Prix articles Category:Spanish Grand Prix Category:2003 Grands Prix Category:Grand Prix articles Category:Formula One races in Spain